Limerick Generating Station Shuts Reactor Down For Refueling

The Unit 1 nuclear reactor at Limerick Generating Station has been shut down as refueling and maintenance operations begin at the plant, Exelon officials announced. The shut down began at midnight on Sunday, March 25.

Exelon said that the refueling is a planned and required part of regular operations at the plant. The Unit 2 reactor will continue to operate while Unit 1 is down.

“The maintenance and inspection activities underway will help make our safe facility even safer and enhance reliability during the peak summer months ahead," Limerick Site Vice President Rick Libra said in a statement.

The last refueling shutdown for Unit 1 occurred in 2016 - exactly 707 days ago, according to officials - marking the longest amount of time the reactor has ever been operational without a refueling break. Unit 2 was shut down for refueling last April.

During this shutdown, Exelon said that more than 1,500 additional workers will arrive to perform "thousands" of inspections and maintenance tasks on Unit 1 that are impossible when the reactor is online. Officials are hopeful the influx of tradespeople will have a boon on the local economy.

About a third of the fuel in the reactor will be replaced during the shutdown. The replaced fuel is older fuel that has become less viable.

It's not clear exactly how long the reactor will remain offline, though the refueling process at other Exelon plants typically takes about a month.

Image via AP Photo/Alex Brandon